When the Hickory Crawdads take the field tonight at L.P. Frans Stadium, they figure to do so as one of the younger teams in the league.
The Crawdads kick off their 19th South Atlantic League season with an eight-game homestand, beginning with a four-game series against Asheville.
Of the nine players expected to be in the everyday lineup, six are 20 younger, which figures to be among the youngest in the league.
But while the Crawdads may lack in age and experience, they certainly appear ready to bring a wealth of talent to the field.
“We’ve got a lot of them (young prospects) on this team and that’s what the challenge for us as a staff is,” said second-year manager Bill Richardson. “I look forward to it. I’m giddy.”
Hickory’s initial roster will have five of the Texas Rangers' top 16 prospects as named by Baseball America, including two first-round picks.
After featuring a treasure trove of pitching talent the past two seasons, the Crawdads’ top prospects this year will be position players.
The most talked about on the Hickory roster this year is 18-year old shortstop Jurickson Profar. He led his native Curacao to the Little League World Series championship in 2004.
After signing with Texas for $1.55 million, a franchise record for an international signee, he began his pro career last season with the Rangers’ short-season affiliate in Spokane, Wash.
As the youngest player in the Northwest League, Profar was named its top prospect by Baseball America, which currently lists him as the Rangers’ second-best prospect.
“He’s got all five tools, but the sixth tool is the one that is most talked about,” said Richardson. “His instincts on the field are incredible, like Derek Jeter, where he’s always managed to be in the right place.
"It’s the same way this guy is. The Rangers decided to challenge him. He’ll probably be the youngest one in the league. He’s worth the price of admission for sure.”
The Crawdads' lineup will also feature two of the Rangers’ 2010 first round picks, both of whom were playing high school ball last spring. Centerfielder Jake Skole, the 15th pick overall and ninth-best prospect, signed with the Rangers out of Blessed Trinity High (Ga.), leaving behind a chance to play football and baseball at Georgia Tech.
Catcher Kellin Deglan, the 22nd pick overall and 16th-best prospect, played at Mountain High in British Columbia. He was also a member of the Canadian junior national team. Scouts have been impressed by his defensive work behind the plate.
At third base will be 19-year old Christian Villanueva, the Rangers’ 12th-best prospect. A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Villanueva hit .314 with two homers and 35 RBI in 51 games in the Arizona Rookie League last season.
Rounding out the infield will be first baseman Andrew Clark and second baseman Odubel Herrera. Backing up the infield quartet will be Jhonny Gomez and Jonathan Roof, who returns to Hickory in 2010.
Joining Skole in the outfield will be Teodoro Martinez – an Arizona League postseason all-star — and Josh Richmond, a 12th-round pick out of Louisville. Clark and Richmond will be counted on in the middle of the lineup to drive in what appears to be an athletic, aggressive group on the bases.
“Andrew Clark had probably some of the best at-bats this spring,” Richardson said of Clark, 23. “He’s a big man and he’s got power and really puts the stabilizing force into the infield as he’s a little older.”
Venezuelan native Tomas Telis and Yefry Castillo will fill in behind Deglin, with Telis getting the nod as the team’s designated hitter. Castillo also figures to play a backup role in the outfield.
The pitching staff will be challenged to replicate the achievements of the 2010 pitching staff, which saw four pitchers make the SAL All-Star team and set several club records.
All-Star Matt Thompson returns to Hickory, partly due to a log jam of pitching prospects in the high levels of the Rangers system.
“We have some great young pitchers at AA and that kind of dams it up a little bit and everybody gets backlogged,” said pitching coach Storm Davis. “He understands that and I think the Rangers have done a good job explaining that to him.”
The rotation is also a young group with four of the five starters only 20.
Roman Mendez (No. 13 prospect), who was acquired by the Rangers from Boston last summer, will be the initial staff ace. Mendez pitched briefly in the SAL last year with Greenville, S.C.
Other rotation members include Randol Rojas (5-4, 2.79 ERA at Spokane), Thompson, Justin Grimm—a fifth-rounder who played college baseball at Georgia and the elder statesman at 22 — and Carlos Melo, who pitched briefly in Hickory last season.
Hickory's bullpen includes returnees Andrew Doyle, Braden Tullis and Joe Van Meter Also in the pen are Kevin Johnson, Colby Killian, Zach Osborne, Ryan Rodebaugh, and Nick Tepesch.
Richardson says bullpen roles have yet to be defined with the closer’s role likely be a closer-by-committee.
Justin Hart returns as the Crawdads hitting coach. Corey Ragsdale, who pitched in Hickory in 2009, makes his coaching debut with the Crawdads.
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